PAX13 – Tiny Brains Demo Preview

Former Ubisoft members branched off to form a small 10 person indie developer to explore their creativity. The result was a game literally about experiments, experimenting with different solutions to escape their mad scientist overlords. Hit the jump for a look into the minds of Tiny Brains.

If Pinky and the Brain had a spinoff video game featuring a cast of genetically mutated super-mice then Tiny Brains would sorta be it. It’s a 4 person co-op puzzle adventure game in which 4 mice, each with their own powers, solve obstacle courses designed for them by mad scientists. These obstacle range from unlocking doors with keys or protecting damsel mice from evil chickens. All of these goals require careful coordination and some luck as you and your partner mice solve the problems at hand.

Each mouse has different powers; one can teleport around the course, one can create a wall of ice, another can pull in objects while the other can push them away. The mice are color coded as well as having unique designs, but it was a nice little touch that the lightbar on the PS4 controller corresponded with the color of your choice of mouse character.

It’s a fun game with multiple solutions to obstacles and where communication amongst your teammates is key. The strangers I was playing with all started talking amongst each other (I was too busy trying to take notes) and as a team we did fairly well, scoring as the third best team the entire demo.

I’d say the game is like Mouse Trap but I never played Mouse Trap so let’s just say that it’s a neat co-op game perfect for group play, and the wacky design should appeal to kids and adults alike.